Redemption
by shadow6116
Summary: Voldemort has won the war, but hope survives in the form of Harry Potter. In an effort to draw Harry out, LV sends Draco on a mission to kidnap Hermione. But what will happen when Draco discovers that Hermione is pregnant? With his child no less?
1. Chapter 1

Redemption

_Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all characters, settings, and situations from the _Harry Potter _series. This story is also originally Cherry Lychee's, and the address to the original is _fanfiction . net /s/ 1293237/ 1/ Redemption _without the spaces_. _And on a side note, I wanted to send a private message to Cherry asking her for permission to adopt her story, but private messaging was not turned on in her account. So enjoy her masterpiece and this version_.

Chapter 1: The Mission

"You want me to _what_?"

Those disbelieving words came out of Draco Malfoy's mouth before he could stop them, and echoed around the large circular room that had once been the office of the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It now served as the private quarters of Lord Voldemort.

"You heard me, Draco," said the Dark Lord, his lipless mouth curling into a derisive sneer. "Kidnap Hermione Granger. Bring her back here- _unharmed_."

Draco prided on his ability to keep his emotions secret, to conceal his feelings from the rest of the world. Now though, shock and amazement showed clearly on his handsome face.

"M- May I ask why?" he stammered. The tips of his ears reddened slightly. Goddamnit, he sounded like a bloody idiot!

Voldemort snorted impatiently, propping his legs up on the enormous claw-footed table before him. "You, of all people, should know why," he said, twirling his wand in a lazy, relaxed sort of way that didn't fool Draco one bit. The Dark Lord was planning something big, something drastic. "With hard work, dedication, and the help of loyal servants such as yourself, I have managed to conquer the entire wizarding world. I have created a mighty empire, an empire that I will do everything in my power to let stand forever!" A demonic glint appeared in Voldemort's flaring red eyes.

"But alas, Draco," he continued, "even the greatest of empires can fall, and even the strongest of rulers can be overthrown. And I say to you: as long as Harry Potter lives, this empire is not safe."

"Don't you think you're being paranoid?" ventured Draco, careful to mask the contempt he felt, and would always feel, for the Boy Who Lived. "Most of Potter's friends are dead. He himself is in hiding. Why do you still consider him a threat?"

"Because, fool," the Dark Lord spat out, "I have underestimated him more than once, and each time, to my downfall. I won't make the same mistake again. He must perish; otherwise, I will never feel completely safe."

Such brutal honesty was unexpected of Voldemort. He would never have admitted to feeling unsafe to any other Death Eater, but Draco was a special case. Draco was his closest ally, his right-hand man, in fact the closest thing to a friend. The Dark Lord knew he could even admit to being scared of mice- not that he was, of course- to Draco, and not a single iota of the respect the blond-haired youth held for his master would be diminished.

"I see your point," Draco said at last, "but what has that got to do with kidnapping Hermi- I mean, Granger?" He cursed himself inwardly for almost referring to her by her first name, but the truth was that he had stopped thinking of her as "Granger" or "Mudblood" that fateful night when she had laid in his arms.

"As you have said, Potter is in hiding. I sent spies to look for him, but so far all of their efforts have been in vain. Therefore, since we don't know where he is, we must give him an incentive to come out."

Voldemort stopped twirling his wand and resumed a proper sitting position. He leaned forward conspiratorially. "It's a very simple plan, really. All you have to do, Draco, is abduct Granger and bring her to Hogwarts. Potter is a noble man"- he made the word _noble _sound like an insult-"and he will rescue her. He shall come charging through the doors and demand that his friend be set free. And that is when we kill him." His tone was so casual, he could have merely been outlaying a cooking recipe step by step.

"How will Potter find out we've kidnapped Granger?" asked Draco.

Voldemort smiled. "I am sure that Granger will know Potter's whereabouts. We'll make her tell…maybe even get her to contact him herself…."

Draco remained silent for a while, once again awed by his master's cunning and ingenuity. It was a brilliant, foolproof plan. Nothing could go wrong.

There was only one small hitch: he had to kidnap Hermione.

Hermione, the girl who he'd hated for years… Hermione, the girl who slapped him once and called him a "twitchy little ferret" to his face… Hermione, the girl he'd held in his arms one wild night when they were both seventeen, who had sweetly moaned his name over and over again, her eyes cloudy with passion and need…. _Stuff it, Malfoy_, he told himself sternly.

"What's the matter?" Voldemort inquired, seeing the hesitation on his servant's face. "You do not have any qualms about abducting the Mudblood, do you?"

Draco's blood ran cold. He felt obvious and transparent. "No, none at all, master." He lied smoothly.

The red eyes narrowed, and, using all the self-control he possessed, Draco gathered all his emotions and thoughts, and locked them away in a deep part of himself, a part the Dark Lord couldn't reach no matter how hard he tried. Thank you Aunt Bellatrix for those Occlumency lessons.

"I will bring Hermione Granger to you as soon as possible, master." Draco vowed, standing up, ready to leave.

"Go, then," said the Dark Lord. "You have three weeks to find her."

By now, Draco was used to tight deadlines. And he had never been late, not once. He bowed slightly, and then left the room in a swirl of black robes, all the while cursing Fate for this cruel trick it had played by leaving him no choice but to kidnap a girl he'd once slept with and with whom he had very nearly fallen in love with.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Draco's Discovery 

One week later, Draco was perched on a tree outside Hermione's bedroom window, wincing every time the slightest movement caused him to get scratched or poked in the ribs by some annoying thorny branch.

"Master, you owe me big time for this," Draco muttered, shifting a bit to find a more comfortable position. This resulted in him being hit in the eye by one of the twigs overhead.

His contact had informed him that Hermione lived in this house in Little Whinging, Surrey, along with Ginny Weasley, Lavender Brown, and the Patil twins. He had also told him that her bedroom was the first on the second floor. Draco had been staying in this blasted tree for nearly an hour, using a Disillusionment Charm to conceal himself from suspicious neighbors.

_Not that I need it now_, he thought, realizing it had gotten very dark. He checked his watch and was startled to discover it was already eight 'o clock in the evening.

Sighing, Draco returned his attention to the window he had been watching zealously.

Hermione's bedroom was very neat. The bed looked as if nobody had ever laid down on it for even a second. Beside it was a night table, on which rested a lamp with a frilly pink lampshade, a small clock, and a thick book. Across the room, a stack of papers lay on a study table. Draco smirked. He wouldn't have expected any less from Miss Hermione Granger, Head Girl and model student.

The door opened, and Hermione stepped into the room. At first, all he could concentrate on was her face. She looked as beautiful as ever, with her waist-length chestnut–colored hair falling in soft waves along her back, and her large chocolate-brown eyes sparkling even at a distance. His throat went dry.

_God_, it felt so good to see her after all these months!

His gaze traveled over….

And what he saw almost made him fall from the tree in absolute shock.

"I don't believe it," he whispered. "Jesus Christ.…"

His contact had told him a lot of things, but had neglected to tell him that Hermione was pregnant.

Hermione breathed in sharply as a familiar flash of pain shot through her back. It subsided as quickly as it had appeared, and she smiled, putting a hand on her large, round belly. A small foot shifted, meeting her touch.

It had been a nightmarish eight months. Voldermort had come back to full power barely a week before Hermione would graduate from Hogwarts. He and his followers had turned the beloved school into their headquarters…. They had killed Dumbledore and all the others who had put up a fight… even Neville….

Unbidden tears streamed down Hermione's cheeks. Poor, brave Neville! He had pushed Ginny aside just in time to take the curse that had been meant for her. _I never knew he had it in him_, thought Hermione, sitting down at the edge of the bed.

After that devastating attack on Hogwarts, the students- those who survived and refused to swear allegiance to the Dark Lord- had been sent back to their homes, but not after being warned that they would no longer be safe. Hermione had gone back to her parents, and later found out that she was pregnant. Barely a week after that, her parents died in a car crash, and Hermione, unable to bear the grief any longer, had very nearly suffered a miscarriage.

When she woke up in the hospital, Ginny was at her side. Dear, sweet, Ginny, whose parents had disappeared- probably taken captive by Death Eaters- had offered Hermione a place to stay with her, Lavender, Padma and Parvati, and they would get help from the Order. Hermione had gladly accepted.

When she first found out that she was pregnant, Hermione had been angry and shocked, knowing that she was bearing Draco Malfoy's child. Her initial reaction had been to get rid of it, but shock and anger soon gave way to a sense of wonder. She was carrying a new life within her, and there was no doubt in her mind that she would care for the baby as soon as it was born. The fact that its father was a despicable bastard simply could not be helped.

Hermione shivered, remembering that wild night. They had both been drunk, and their hormones were in overdrive. After that first kiss, a kiss that was so overwhelming it drugged her senses even more than the liquor, there was no going back.

She had given herself to him so freely and wantonly that it now shamed her. His impassioned caresses had burned her skin, and his hot kisses made her lose all common sense. His ardent hunger had fueled the need within her, until she was moaning his name over and over again, matching his movements and writhing underneath him, oblivious to everything else.

_Who would have thought_, Hermione thought, smiling in self-mockery, _that I could behave like a harlot, or that Malfoy was capable of such fire? I wonder where he is now and what's he's doing…._

The smile turned into a frown as the most logical answer came to mind: he was off somewhere torturing Muggles under the orders of You-Know-Who.

Jackass.

A soft voice jerked Hermione out of her musings. "Knock knock."

She smiled at Ginny, who was standing in the open doorway, wearing a pale blue nightgown and carrying a glass of milk. "Come in, Ginny."

The petite redhead entered the room and gave the glass to Hermione, who drank it gratefully.

"Thank you," said Hermione, setting the empty glass on the night table. "You really shouldn't have bothered."

"Nonsense!" said Ginny, sitting next to her on the bed. "Your baby needs all the nourishment it can get. It's almost due, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded. "One more month."

"Have you decided on a name."

"Well, I'm not exactly sure, but if it's a boy, I would call him Jordan. And if it's a girl, I would call her Ginevra."

Ginny blushed, obviously pleased. "How flattering."

"I never would have gotten through all those months without your help, Ginny."

"It's what Ron would have wanted me to do," Ginny said softly. "He loved you, after all."

Hermione bit her lip and looked down at the floor, on the verge of tears again. Ron had died so that Harry could live. He had caused a distraction, challenging Voldermort and his Death Eaters. He had fought them single-handedly, giving Professor McGonagall enough time to shove Harry through the secret passageway under the statue of the one-eyed witch.

"We've all been through so much, Hermione," Ginny whispered. "We've lost so many friends and loved ones…. When will it end?"

Hermione placed a supportive arm around her friend's shoulders and held Ginny's hand tightly. "One day Harry will be able to fight You-Know-Who," said Hermione fervently. "He wasn't strong enough before, but he's getting training from the Order now. All we can do now is believe in him…. He's our only chance…."

"I hope you're right…." said Ginny in a small voice.

"Of course I am!" Hermione declared with a trace of her old bossy attitude. Ginny gave her a weak smile.

The youngest Weasley had grown into a beauty, with alabaster skin, flaming red hair, and eyes that were a deep chocolate brown just like Hermione's. But because of the bags under those eyes and the worry lines on her face, Ginny looked more in her mid-twenties than sixteen years old.

_That's one of the worst parts_, Hermione thought sadly, longing to see the youthful sparkle that had once been such a part of Ginny. _We've all grown old before our time. _

Draco silently watched the two girls, wondering what they were talking about. It frustrated him not to be able to hear their soft murmurs to each other. At last, Weasley stood up and left, taking the empty glass with her, and went out of the room. Hermione stared at the wall, obviously lost in her own thoughts. Draco scowled when he saw the telltale glimmer on her cheeks.

_Why is she crying?_ he demanded silently, suddenly seized by an urgent need to wipe away those tears. He considered bashing his head against the nearest brick wall. He wasn't supposed to care, damn it!

But whose child was she carrying? That question bothered Draco a lot for some reason.

_Snap out of it, you moron! _cried his inner logical voice. _Go get the girl! Now's the perfect time to do it._

With a disgusted snort aimed at himself, Draco lithely moved closer to the window, ignoring his aching muscles and the branches that hit him as if determined to keep him away. He pulled out his wand and said, "_Crystavanis!_"

The glass disappeared and Draco eased himself out of the tree and into Hermione's bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Damn This Kid's Father!

When Hermione didn't show any reaction to the blond-haired youth with the Death Eater badge pinned to his midnight-black robe entering her room through the window, Draco thought she hadn't seen him. Then he realized that he was right in her line of vision, but she was looking _through him_, as if he didn't exist.

_What's going on? _he wondered silently. _Has she gone blind or something?_

Then it hit him: he hadn't removed the Disillusionment Charm!

Embarrassed at his own stupidity, Draco removed the Charm.

When Draco Malfoy appeared in front of Hermione as suddenly as if he'd just Apparated, or cast aside an Invisibility Cloak, she knew she had gone crazy. She closed her eyes, sighing tiredly.

Draco was thoroughly bewildered. He had been expecting a "What in the bloody blazes are you doing here, you slimy git?!" or at the very least a scream, but not _this_.

"Granger?" he ventured, careful not to call her by her given name.

Hermione's eyes snapped open and she stood up so abruptly she wouldn't have been surprised if she went into early labor. This was no hallucination. The father of her unborn child was right in front of her, his gray eyes looking her up and down. Her gaze traveled to the wand in his hand, then to the silver badge pinned to his chest: a skull, with blood-red rubies for eyes, and a snake protruding from its mouth like a venomous tongue…. It was the Dark Mark, the emblem of the Death Eaters.

"Don't come near me," she whispered, overcome with a mixture of shock and nausea. She knew that she should scream, to warn the other girls that a servant of You-Know-Who was in the house. But she didn't have the strength, and suddenly her knees felt very weak.

Draco was at a loss for words. The pale, trembling female, looking at him with terrified eyes, was _not _the Hermione Granger her had known at school, the feisty, courageous girl who would've hexed him as soon as she saw him.

"Look, Granger…." he trailed off, too confused by his own muddle of thoughts to produce a coherent sentence.

Her vision was becoming blurry fast. "Don't…." was the last thing Hermione said before darkness claimed her and slipped her into welcome oblivion.

With the reflexes born of his Dark training, Draco leapt forward and caught Hermione before she hit the floor. He stayed completely still for what seemed like hours, aware of nothing else but the warm body he held in his arms. Memories came rushing back to him in a flood, memories of feverish caresses and urgent kisses, an alcohol-induced act of love consummated in the Astronomy Tower, witnessed only by the stars in the night sky.

The indistinct noise of a door slamming shut somewhere in the house brought Draco back to his senses. He straightened and made a face. Hermione wasn't exactly light as a feather due to the extra burden she carried, but there had been a time when it hadn't taken much effort on his part to carry her up the stairs leading up to the tower….

_Stop that! _commanded a voice inside his head that, strangely, sounded like his mother's.

"Gotcha Mum," muttered Draco, racking his brains for a way to get out of the house undetected. He had originally planned on Stunning Hermione and tossing her over his shoulder, and exiting the way he entered, but that was before he knew she was pregnant. He couldn't treat a pregnant woman like _that_.

For a fleeting instant, Draco glanced at her swollen stomach and cursed the baby's father. That horny bastard, whoever he was, had just made Draco's work harder for him!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Finding Out

"So Granger's pregnant?"

Draco was back in Voldemort's quarters. Hermione was in a small chair beside Draco, still unconscious.

It hadn't been easy for Draco to get her back here. He had done a Hover Charm on her, and levitated her out the window, which had barely been big enough for her to fit through. He had gently lowered her to the ground, and followed her out, careful not to land on her. After that, he had managed to call the Knight Bus without being noticed, and here he was now.

"I'm sorry sir," said Draco. "Should I call in a specialist to-?

Voldemort cut off Draco. "No, this is good…. No doubt Potter would want both his friend and her child safe…. Who knows, it might even be his…."

"Take her to the dungeons. I'll be seeing her later."

Draco got up, gently picked Hermione up, and left. As he was heading down the stone staircase that led to the dungeons, he found himself wondering again about the father of Hermione's child. Maybe the Dark Lord was right, the child _was_ Potter's.

Finally Draco made it to the dungeons. He opened one of the many doors, went in, and set Hermione down on the small bed. Just then, she woke up.

Hermione groaned and put her hand to her head. The first thing she noticed was that she was no longer in her room, and Draco Malfoy was standing over her.

"Where am I, Malfoy?" she demanded, sitting up.

"You're in the Hogwarts Dungeons," replied Draco, determined to get answers for his own questions quickly.

"Why did you kidnap me?"

"Now that, Granger, is something you won't be learning anytime soon. Now, why don't you answer _my_ question: whose child are you carrying?"

Hermione didn't answer. She just stared at him, and Draco stared back. After a long while, Draco guessed that Hermione wouldn't be answering anytime soon. He turned to leave.

"It's yours." It was very soft, but Draco could still hear it.

"What?" Draco turned back to Hermione, who was looking down at the floor. Slowly, her gaze lifted, and brown eyes bored into gray ones.

"The baby is yours, Malfoy. In other words, you're a father."

Draco just stood there in stunned disbelief. Finally he regained his senses, and he ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Hermione sighed; she had expected as much. She laid down on the bed again, thinking about the other girls and how would they react when they realized she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Listening

Draco stopped running as soon as he was far away from Hermione's cell. He leaned against the wall, thoughts running through his head like wildfire.

Hermione was pregnant with his child. Which meant a _Mudblood _was pregnant with his child. If mother and father found out, they would surely disown him. And what if the child had blond hair? Then everyone would make the connection, and he would become an outcast.

There was only one option. He would have to kill his child as soon as it was born if it had any passing resemblance to him. It pained him to think of that, but he had no other choice.

Still…. Just because he had to kill it didn't mean he couldn't try and _connect_ with it….

Draco made his way back to Hermione's cell and opened the door. He saw her on the bed, fast asleep. He went over to her, and slowly lifted her dress up, exposing her very large stomach. He put his hand and ear on it.

He could hear the baby's heartbeat, and felt it kicking. It amazed him, and he began to stroke Hermione's belly. He smiled as he felt the child's kicks come faster.

"Hi there baby," he whispered, mystified by the fact that this beautiful woman was actually having a child- _his _child.

Draco continued to listen and feel for his child for what seemed like a long time. Finally, he got up and kissed Hermione's belly. He pulled her dress back on, left the room, sparing one last look at Hermione before closing and locking the door.

Little did Draco know, Hermione had actually been awake the whole time. She had heard footsteps, and immediately faked slumber so that whoever was coming would go away when they saw her asleep. But when she felt something on her belly, she opened her eyes a millimeter, and saw Draco Malfoy on her, listening and feeling for her baby- no, _their _baby. She had quickly shut her eyes so that Malfoy wouldn't know she was awake.

She had felt the fast kicks coming from her baby, and she knew that it loved both of its parents very much, even if one of them was a sick pervert who probably killed Muggles for amusement. But what had surprised her the most was the fact that Malfoy, _Draco Malfoy_, had kissed her belly. Did that mean that he wasn't as heartless as he seemed?

Hermione suddenly realized that she felt very tired. She attempted to get into the most comfortable position on the small bed. Then she fell into real, deep sleep….

When Hermione awoke, she saw the cell door being opened. In the doorway there was a shadowy figure. At first she thought it was Malfoy again, but then she realized that the figure was too tall to be Malfoy. Then she saw the gleaming red eyes with slits for pupils.

The figure was none other than the Dark Lord himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Dealings

Voldemort towered over Hermione. He mouth curled into a sneer, and that scared Hermione a bit, but she was determined not to show it.

Voldemort seemed to sense it anyway. "Don't worry, little girl," – _Little? Ha! I'm bigger than a house with this belly! _Hermione thought- "I'm not going to hurt you- not yet anyway."

"Yeah, like you would ever want to hurt a pregnant woman in the first place, oh-so-great Dark Lord." Hermione said sarcastically. Voldermort's brow furrowed.

"Now, now, let's not get cheeky." Voldermort said this in what he probably thought was his warm and fuzzy voice, but it only served to creep Hermione out more.

"Now, why don't we make a deal," Voldemort said, bending down so that he and Hermione were at eye level. "Tell me where Potter is hiding, and you and your child will not be harmed. If not, then the consequences will be quite… dire."

Hermione chuckled inwardly. So Voldemort wanted to get Harry, and her being kidnapped was part of a scheme to lure Harry over. Well, the Order had suspected that something like this might happen, so per security protocols, the girls had only been allowed to know if Harry was okay or not, but not his actual location. "I don't know where Harry is." Hermione answered truthfully.

The red eyes narrowed, and they bored deep into Hermione's own eyes, as if they were searching for any sign that she was lying. After a long while, he stood.

"It seems that you are telling the truth after all, Mudblood," Voldemort snarled. "But no matter, because your friends will know you've been kidnapped anyway because,"- Voldermort pulled out his wand and conjured a quill, a bottle of ink, and some parchment, and handed them to Hermione- "You will tell them yourself."

Hermione wrote:

_Ginny_

_If you haven't figured it out already, I've been kidnapped by Death Eaters. I'm being held at Hogwarts. Please help me. _

_Hermione_

Hermione wanted to tell Ginny that she should warn Harry not to come after her, to disregard her plead for help, but with Voldemort watching she couldn't take any chances.

Voldemort took the letter and gave it a look of satisfaction. He pocketed it, and without acknowledging Hermione any further, left the cell and locked the door behind him.

Hermione sighed, then realized that she was very hungry when a loud growl came from her stomach, and the baby kicked hard. She rubbed her belly, trying to quiet down the baby. She was worried; it was unlikely that any food was given to prisoners. She also knew it could be bad for the baby if she didn't eat anything soon, and even worse if it went that way for the next month if she didn't escape this cell. She _really_ didn't want her baby to die.

Just then, the cell door opened again, but instead of Voldemort this time, it was Malfoy, holding a small plate of food and a glass of water in his hands. He handed the plate and glass to Hermione. She was about to wolf it all down, even if the meal did look mediocre (it was only a loaf of bread and some beef jerky), but she grew suspicious and didn't touch the food.

Draco watched Hermione stare at her plate, not eating. _What is wrong with this woman? She should be eating, but why isn't she? _Draco thought. He had taken it upon himself to give Hermione and their child at least a little nourishment, because knowing his comrades, they wouldn't care for a Mudblood even if they were bribed with all the gold in Gringotts. And he was a father, after all; shouldn't he at least try?

Then he remembered that Hermione knew that he was a Death Eater. Cursing himself for not realizing that earlier, he said, "It's not poisoned or anything."

Hermione gave him a distrustful look, but she began to eat anyway.

Draco wanted to touch Hermione's belly again, to feel his unborn child. The thought that he had to kill it if a connection between him and it could be easily made still made him feel sick, so he wanted to spend as much time with it as possible. He began to reach for Hermione's belly, careful not to alert her to what he was trying to do.

But just then his left forearm burned, and he knew that the Dark Lord had called his Death Eaters. He drew his hand back, thinking that the timing couldn't have been worse.

Hermione finished eating, and Draco took the plate and glass. He left, leaving Hermione alone in the cell once again as the door shut and locked with a click.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: It's Started

One month had passed since Hermione had been kidnapped. She still hadn't escaped, but at least Harry didn't seem to have taken the bait and come running after her. She was basically ignored by the Death Eaters. Not even Voldermort had come back after his visit the night she was put in this cell.

But there was one Death Eater who visited her: Draco Malfoy. He always came in with her daily meal, and he would always watch her eat. Hermione also remembered the day he had asked her if he could touch her belly, which had grown even larger in the past month. She had been a bit reluctant at first, but she had relented. Draco also frequently let her out of the cell so that she could go to the bathroom and wash herself, though of course he was there to make sure she didn't try to run off.

She was a bit worried, though, because if she was right, she was now four days late. She wondered if this was normal for a first pregnancy, but tried not to think much of it. She just wanted the baby to be healthy and okay….

The baby kicked again. Hermione rubbed her belly. The baby had been kicking a lot today, but this time it was so hard that it hurt a bit. But then she was gripped by a terrible pain, much more extreme than the ones she had been feeling all day. Her stomach muscles spasmed hard and she felt something wet between her legs. Her water had broken.

Her back had also been hurting all day. Since that had happened before, she hadn't expected to go into labor. Another pain seized Hermione, and this time it was so bad that she screamed.

Meanwhile, Draco was making his way to Hermione's cell. He had been growing on her with every visit in the past month, and surprisingly he didn't mind. He felt comfort in her presence, especially now when the Dark Lord was getting frustrated by the lack in progress in capturing Potter. Why, Draco even thought that he _loved_ Hermione now….

He heard Hermione scream, and he rushed over to her cell and opened the door. He saw her clutching her stomach, her face contorted in pain.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm about to have the baby." Hermione said between gasps.

Draco just stared at her, then left. Hermione sighed; she had been hoping that his visits had meant that he really did care for her and the baby, but that wasn't the case. She lied down on the bed, taking deep breaths and trying to relax.

But Draco, wasn't running away, as Hermione thought; instead he was heading up the stairs, looking for help. There was barely anyone he could trust in Hogwarts now, and the Dark Lord was definitely out of the question. But wait…. There _was _somebody he could trust. Draco just hoped he wasn't out on a mission.

After several minutes of running around the higher levels of the dungeons, Draco was about to give up hope when he finally saw the man he was looking for. He rushed over.

"Professor! Professor Snape! Hermione- I mean Granger's-"

"I know, Draco. You didn't think I couldn't hear that banshee of a girl, did you?"

As they rushed down the stairs- well, Draco rushed down, Snape just calmly walked with him- Snape asked, "Why do you care so much about Granger anyway?" Draco didn't answer.

Meanwhile, Hermione was not in the best of positions. The contractions were coming faster and faster, stronger and stronger. She was very scared, and that just made the pain worse. She was desperate, desperate for _anyone_ to come, anyone to save her baby….

The door opened and in came Draco. There was another person with him, and Hermione saw it was Severus Snape, the very man who had fired the curse that had snuffed out Dumbledore's life.

"No- no, please…. Not the baby…."

"Cool it, Granger." Snape said. "I'm here to help, and just for the record," he whispered, "It was me who sent the Headmasters' portraits to Order headquarters and saved them from being thrown into the fire."

Snape waved his wand over Hermione's stomach, and a white ribbon of light came out of it, twisting gracefully into the figures _5 cm_.

"5 centimeters dilated. Quite a bit fast for a first pregnancy…." Snape said.

A hand was offered to Hermione. She didn't care whose it was, she just grabbed it and squeezed it hard. She heard Draco grunt in pain. Served him right for doing this to her.

After at least half an hour, Snape waved his wand over Hermione's stomach again, and this time the ribbon read _10 cm_.

"Granger, you are fully dilated now. Now, at the next contraction, you will have to push. Understand?" Snape said. Hermione nodded.

The next contraction came very soon. Hermione pushed and screamed, wanting the baby out of her as soon as possible.

"Good. Now do the same thing at the next contraction."

But after many more pushes, Hermione was very tired. The next contraction came, but she didn't push because she couldn't.

"Push, woman! God, what part of 'push' don't you get!" Snape yelled at her when she didn't push.

"I can't…. I'm too tired…. I can't push…." Hermione moaned.

"Yes you can, Hermione! You're strong!" Draco said to her.

Hermione looked up at him, surprised. The only time when Draco had used her first name was that wild night. But that didn't matter to her; it gave her renewed strength, and she pushed and screamed. Then she heard a cry that brought joy to her heart.

"It's a girl." Snape announced.

Draco was also filled with joy. Hermione's daughter- _their _daughter- looked exactly like her mother. That meant that no easy connection between him and her could be made, and he wouldn't have to kill her. Maybe, just maybe, when this damn war was over, he could finally admit his love for Hermione, and they could marry. Never mind what father or mother said, he would live a happy life with Hermione and their new daughter….

Just then, Hermione screamed again. "Probably just the placenta." Snape said, bending down, but then he quickly got up again.

"Shit."

"What? What's wrong?" Draco asked, growing anxious.

"There's another baby."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Names

After many more pushes, the second baby finally came out. This time, it was a boy, and it looked very much like Draco. Snape, of course, noticed this.

"Are they yours?" Snape asked, referring to the now bundled-up-and-sleeping newborns.

"Yes." Draco knew that there was no chance of him denying that the babies were his.

Draco lifted his son, and left the cell. Snape sighed; he knew what Draco was going to do, and as much as he disapproved, he knew that he should not interfere. After all, that was one of Dumbledore's last instructions before he also ordered Snape to kill him…

But Draco was heading into another cell, alone with his child. He gently rocked his baby, very careful with his child.

"How could I have ever considered killing you?" he whispered. His son was beautiful; Draco knew from the moment he was born that he would never destroy such a beautiful thing.

The child yawned, and opened his gray eyes, so much like Draco's own. The baby smiled, and joy filled Draco again.

Meanwhile, Hermione was sobbing silently, alone except for her sleeping daughter (Snape had left a while ago). She also knew why Draco had left with their son. Sure, she had read about pureblood beliefs before, but did they really have to go that far; killing one's own child just because it was "impure?"

Well, at least she still had one baby left.

Just then, the cell door opened, and in came Malfoy, holding- Hermione gasped- their son, alive and well.

"I thought you would want to hold him next," Malfoy said, handing Hermione their baby. Hermione barely held back tears of joy; their son was alive, and that meant Malfoy really _did _have a heart.

Then a thought occurred to Hermione. "Shouldn't we name them?" she asked.

"I was going to say that," Malfoy said, sitting down next to Hermione and picking up their daughter.

"Hmmm…. Black family tradition has their kids named after stars and constellations…. Why don't we keep that tradition alive?" Malfoy said thoughtfully.

"But I want friends acknowledged too," Hermione pouted.

"Well, I'll let you do the middle names, but that's all. I was thinking of our daughter's first name to be Lyra though."

"That's beautiful… Draco." That was the first time Hermione had called Draco by his first name since the night. "But her middle name should be Ginevra."

"Oh, all right. Now, I think our son's first name should be Columba."

"Noah's dove? Hey, come to think of it, he does sort of look like a dove…. And…." Hermione's voice broke, and she said softly, "His middle name should be Ronald."

Draco heard Hermione's upset voice, and tried to comfort her. "Shhh… Hermione, I know that you miss, ah, Ronald… and how important it is for you to remember him, but… you have me and our children now."

Hermione sniffled, but she gave a small smile. Then she realized something. "But what about Professor Snape? Doesn't he know about you being a father?"

"I talked to him, and he agreed to keep our secret quiet. We still have to do something about Columba's hair though." Draco took out his wand and waved it over Columba's hair, changing its color from white to brown.

"Can I ask you something Draco?" Hermione said.

"Go ahead?"

"Do you really love me, Draco? And our children as well?"

Draco gave her a surprised look. "Of course I do, Hermione. I love you with all my heart." He kissed Hermione and left the cell, but this time Hermione wasn't alone, and she went to sleep with a smile on her face, holding her babies close.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Escape

A few weeks had passed since Hermione had given birth. It wasn't easy, however, to care for the twins, even with the help she was getting from Draco and a somewhat reluctant Snape. Even though the workload was lightened a bit, it was nowhere near the low amount that she would have preferred. Even though it was a bit better during the day, the twins' cries and needs weren't so easily quelled in the night. And the fact that she had to be helped in secret, not to mention that Professor Snape wasn't exactly good with kids didn't help at all. Still, Hermione and Draco loved Lyra and Columba with all their hearts and were happy.

Still, it would be nice if she managed to escape this cell with her babies… and Draco….

R

Draco came into her cell as usual, but this time, except that he seemed to be a bit flustered.

"What are you thinking about, Draco?" Hermione asked.

"…I'm thinking of a way to get you out of here."

"What?" Hermione sat up, careful with the sleeping twins in her arms.

"Come on, Hermione. You know that it's not going to be good for you or the twins if you're stuck in here forever."

"Yes, but… _how_ are we going to get out of here?"

"…I'll think of something."

R

The next day, Draco had a smile on his face when he came in.

"I talked to Blaise, and he's agreed to help us out?"

"Blaise? As in Blaise Zabini?"

"Yes. Now, let's get out of here."

R

A trapdoor in the Shrieking Shack opened. Hermione and Draco climbed out, followed by Blaise Zabini who was carrying a basket that held the twins. He handed the basket to Hermione. Then he and Draco cast a Silencing Charm on the walls so that the sound of them Apparating away wouldn't be heard.

"Wait!"

"What is it, Hermione?" Draco asked.

"What about you? If you're caught, you're going to be killed…and there's no telling how the Order will react when I have a known Death Eater with me."

"Relax, Hermione. Last time I checked, you were best friends with Pott- I mean Harry – and I'm sure that will keep the Order from trying to kill me, and I could become a spy as well. As for the Dark Lord…. He won't matter as long as I'm with her." Draco kissed Hermione, and she looped one of her arms around his shoulders, pulling him a bit closer.

Blaise rolled his eyes at the lovers. "Okay, can we go now?" But his tone was light and amused.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Reunion

In Number 6, Wisteria Walk, Hermione's old home, an Order meeting was going on. Ginny, Lavender, Parvati, Padma, Tonks, Remus, and Kingsley were there. Currently, they were discussing how to get Hermione out of Hogwarts without many losses.

"We can try and send someone to sneak in and break her out." Lavender suggested.

"That won't work, Lavender," Remus sighed. "Severus is - _was _- the only member of the Order who would be able to pull off an operation like this. But we're not sure where his true loyalties lie, especially after what he did last year. We can't take any chances."

"But you said it yourself," Ginny shot out of her seat. "We have to find a solution fast. Harry's barely holding back, and any minute now he's going to run out of wherever he is now and go to Hogwarts himself."

"Hey, what about…"

But Padma never got to finish that sentence, because at that moment there was a loud CRACK, and three cloaked figures appeared on the table. One of the figures was carrying a basket. And the table, rickety as it was, gave out under the combined weight of the figures.

"I thought the Anti-Apparition wards were up!" Padma cried out.

"That doesn't matter!" Kingsley said as he was pulled out his wand. "Somehow, the Death Eaters found out that we were having a meeting here. Whatever's in that basket is probably not good. Remus, Tonks, and I will hold them off, the rest of you get out of here!"

"Wait!" One of the figures had pulled off her hood, revealing….

"HERMIONE?!" the Order members all shouted out at the same time.

"Yes it's me."

Ginny ran forward and hugged Hermione. "We were so worried about you, Hermione! We were just discussing a way to get you out of Hogwarts! Wait, something's missing… Hermione, did you give birth while you were being held at Hogwarts?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes," she picked up the basket and held it up so everyone could see what was inside. "And guess what? I had twins."

"Awwwwwwwww!" The girls crowded around Hermione to get a better look. Tonks took one of the babies into her arms. "Oh, Hermione, you must be a proud mommy."

"Mmm-hmm. And here's the proud daddy."

Hermione pulled one of the other figures forward. "Are you sure this is okay?" he asked nervously. Hermione gave him an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry. If they do freak out, Blaise and I will save you and keep the twins safe."

"Well…alright."

The figure pulled off his hood, showing the Order members that he was none other than Draco Malfoy.

There was a dead silence. Draco was growing very uncomfortable, and Blaise (who had already taken off his hood) also looked nervous.

Finally Blaise spoke up. "Look, I know that Draco and I are known Death Eaters, but we're on your side. We'll even join the Order and become spies to prove it."

Still silence. Then, Kingsley said slowly, "We can't exactly trust you right now, but we're willing to give you two a chance. If Hermione thinks you're okay, then you probably are."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks, Kingsley. You're a great leader, just like Dumbledore was. I just hope that Harry doesn't flip out when he finds out that Draco Malfoy is now a member of the Order." Everybody laughed.

_Yes, I have decided to continue this fic after all! Enjoy, and R & R!_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Discussions

A few weeks had passed since Draco and Blaise joined the Order. Hermione had managed to convince the girls to let the boys stay in the guest room when they weren't at Hogwarts. And while the boys were sill not totally welcome (i.e. Moody), they had helped the Order foil many of Voldemort's operations. And for those who are wondering, Voldemort didn't care that Hermione had escaped because he had grown so frustrated with his plan to lure Harry into a trap that he switched back to his old plan: send his spies to various parts of Britain and hope that one of them had found Harry.

As for the twins, things were a lot easier now that Hermione and Draco had more help than ever taking care of their children. In fact, the girls were particularly excited about having babies in the house. Nevertheless, Hermione and Draco were very grateful and thought they couldn't have been any luckier.

R

Draco was sitting on the bad, cradling Columba in his arms. He and Blaise weren't on missions right now, and after making sure nobody was watching them, they took the liberty of visiting Hermione. Right now, Blaise was in the bathroom (I think I ate something really bad), leaving Draco somewhat alone in the guest room.

The door opened. Hermione was standing there, holding a sleeping Lyra in her arms. She smiled a little at Draco.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself."

"Where's Blaise?"

"Bathroom, he ate something."

Hermione giggled. "So, how's old snake face?"

"Well, he's angrier than ever, mainly because he still hasn't found Harry. But also because he thinks that there was something more to your escape."

Hermione stopped smiling. "Draco…every minute that you're out there, spying on You-Know-Who…I know that what you're doing is for the greater good, but I worry… worry that you're not going to come back, worry that the twins won't have a father."

"But I'm still here."

Draco conjured a cradle and set Columba down in it. Then he gently took Lyra out of Hermione's arms and set down in the cradle with her brother. Draco smiled at Hermione, coming closer to her. Hermione hot closer as well, and their lips were centimeters away…

"Hi Hermione!"

Blaise was leaning on the doorway, wearing a good natured smile on his face. Draco and Hermione pulled away, their faces red with embarrassment. Glancing between the two, Blaise quickly realized that he had ruined a moment between the two.

"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" No answer. "…I'll go away now."

Blaise left. The lovers turned back to each other.

"Now where were we?" Draco was grinning from ear to ear. Hermione grinned back.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Life Goes On

The war was over. The war was finally over. In an epic Final Battle, Harry had defeated Voldemort and saved the Wizarding World. Many Death Eaters had been imprisioned or killed, and the escaped ones were being rounded up. Kingsley had become the new Minister of Magic, and he was spearheading reconstruction of the Wizarding World. But like every end of a war, there were loose ends left to tie up…

R

Hermione sipped her tea. She heard a tapping at the window, and turning her head, saw that there was an owl. She opened the window, and the owl came in, dropping a copy of the _Daily Prophet _on the table. She gave the owl a Knut, and then she opened her newspaper. She smiled as she read the headline _Harry Potter Announces Marriage to Ginny Weasley!_ Hermione made a mental note to herself to congratulate them when they next met.

The door opened, and Hermione looked up from her newspaper. Draco was there, smiling, but at the same time looking nervous about something. He took a seat across from Hermione, not bothering to get breakfast.

"Nice day," Draco said, not looking at her.

"Mm-hmm," Hermione sipped her coffee.

"… We have two kids."

"Yes."

"And we are in love with each other for sure."

"Yes."

"It's kind of strange considering we used to hate each other's guts a few years ago."

Hermione laughed and hugged Draco. "You know, Ginny and Harry are getting married."

"I knew Weaslette and Potter were going to get together someday."

Hermione laughed again, but she did pinch Draco on the arm.

"And on that note," Draco rubbed his arm, and then took out a little black box from his pocket. He opened it, revealing a small gold ring with a diamond on top. "Will… will you marry me, Hermione Jean Granger?"

Hermione smiled. "I would love to."

R

It was a few weeks after Draco had proposed to Hermione. Somehow, word had gotten out that this had happened, and it was spreading like wildfire. The _Daily Prophet _sunk the Harry-Ginny boat, but raised the Draco-Hermione boat, and kept on writing things about scandal, what was going to happen, etc. Now Draco and Hermione would get swamped by _Prophet _reporters once they set a foot out of the house.

Right now, Draco and Hermione were outside of Malfoy Manor, having managed to avoid some over-eager reporters. Hermione was very nervous, because even though the war was over, she was not sure what the Malfoys' reaction to their son marrying a "Mudblood" was going to be.

Draco knocked on the door, and it opened. A house-elf appeared, saying things like "Welcome, welcome Master Malfoy!" Hermione bit her lip at this.

Narcissa Malfoy came to them. Her eyes were as cold as ever, though they softened a bit at the sight of her son.

"Hello Draco. Your father is in the drawing room. We need to talk."

Hermione noticed that Narcissa acted like she didn't exist. She sighed, knowing that this probably would've happened anyway, and followed Draco to the drawing room.

R

Actually, the "talk" hadn't been so bad after all. After a very long discussion (10 minutes, to be exact, which involved some yelling and a certain long-haired blonde near tear his hair out, Lucius and Narcissa went out of the room to have their own discussion. After a while, Lucius and Narcissa came back in. They had decided to allow Draco to marry Hermione without disowning him, though Lucius did say he only agreed to this "because your mother let you." Nevertheless, Hermione and Draco were very glad of this.

R

Hermione walked down the aisle of the tent, Molly next to her. Everyone else in the procession was there, waiting for the bride to arrive. The flower girls, Fleur and Bill's 6- year old daughter Victoire, and Lucy, Percy and Audrey's 5-year old daughter, scattered rose petals. The bridesmaids in their black silk dresses followed them, each carrying a bouquet of yellow roses. Hermione was calm and radiant as she was escorted down the aisle.

The scene before her was just like a dream. Harry and Ginny were sitting next to each other, there hands interlocking; Arthur was smiling proudly, miraculously not getting into a fight with Lucius, who had an arm around Narcissa, who was crying and smiling at the same time. As expected, Blaise was best man, and he was smiling widely. Lavender and Tonks held Columba and Lyra in their arms, respectively, and like Blaise, they were also smiling.

And in silver-colored dress robes, was Draco. Hermione thought he looked rather dashing, and was pleased to see that he was also smiling. She took her place next to him, and the tufty-haired wizard who stood in front of them started to say, "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls…"

After a while, groom and bride exchanged their vows, and the tufty-haired wizard then said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The wizard raised his wand into the air high above the heads of Draco and Hermione, sending a shower of silver stars upon them just as they kissed. The guests clapped, and after a few seconds, the newlyweds broke of their kiss. Hermione saw that Draco had the softest expression on his face, and her heart just melted and she fell in love with him all over again.

It was all so much, but both Draco and Hermione knew that this was definitely the happiest day of both their lives. Life had gone on just fine.


	13. Chapter 13

Epilogue

Draco and Hermione were at Platform 9 ¾. It was September 1st, and they were seeing off their children for their first year at Hogwarts. Columba, now with his hair restored to its original color, had grown into a handsome boy. Lyra had also grown into a beautiful girl. Both of them had their parents' smarts.

"Dad, are you and mom going to miss us?" Lyra asked, looking up at her father.

"Of course we will, sweetie." Draco kissed his daughter. "Hey, where is your brother?"

"Oh, he saw some friends of his and ran off to see them." Just then, Columba walked up to his father and sister.

"Ugh, Greg was being a prat again. Did I miss anything?" he asked.

"No, son."

"Oh. Okay." Columba went away, and Lyra ran after him, muttering something about how Columba should more time with his sister.

Draco looked around the station. He saw Blaise and Luna near the Hogwarts Express, who had gotten married. They were saying goodbye to their son, Eric, and all of them were smiling. Draco shook his head; he still marveled at the fact that Blaise and Loony had gotten together. Still, he could go over to them later and talk to them.

Just then, Hermione came up behind Draco, and put her hands on Draco's eyes. "Guess who."

Draco laughed. "I know it's you, Hermione." Hermione laughed back.

"I was just talking to Harry and Ginny. They wished us good luck, though they did tell us to warn the twins about James. He's quite a prankster, apparently."

A long time ago, Draco would have laughed at the thought that he would ever be friends with Saint Potter; their enmity was just too strong. Then again, a lot of things he thought impossible before was now a reality. He didn't mind at all though. No, not at all. So many things had changed.

"It was a wonder that we had kids, eh Hermione?"

"Yeah."

"And it's a wonder that we're doing it again, isn't it?" Draco said, putting a hand on Hermione's six-month pregnant stomach.

"Yes," Hermione put her hand on Draco's own. "It is."

The End


End file.
